Like a Moth to the Flame
by Lady Henrietta
Summary: Set directly after DMC and continuing through AWE: Barbossa is back and needs the help of an old flame, to fix things. BarbossaOC
1. Smoldering cinders

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and Gore Verbinski. Some of the story was written prior to At World's End and therefore the story has a bit of extra mythology. Our story begins where the second movie left off.

Like a Moth to the Flame

Chapter 1: Smoldering cinders

"Well, what are you all staring at?" Barbossa asked as he took a bite of his green apple.

"You're dead, Jack shot you," Will Turner protested.

Elizabeth Swan turned toward the witch. "What sort of foul trick is this? How is a man whose heart is as black as the sails of _The Pearl_ supposed to help us?"

The witch sighed and shook her index finger at Elizabeth. "First of all, girl, dem pots shouldn't be callin' dem kettles black. Now, part a de reason this man is back has ta do wit da heart a' Davy Jones. I had to bring 'im back. He's de only one who knows how ta get Jack Sparrow back. Der be a curse on de dead because Jones hasn't been doin' his job. Da heart ain't where it's s'posed to be and de dead float on de waters because no one's der to take dem to de afterlife."

Elizabeth and Will glanced at each other, perplexed. "The song's been sung too," Barbossa added.

"That's all fine and good, but what do we do now?" Mr. Gibbs interjected.

Barbossa looked at the small group in the room and smirked. "Ya need to get the heart of Davy Jones, but you also want Jack back. The way I see it, you all need a new captain. I volunteer my services, free of charge, if you will allow me to be fillin' that position."

"Why should we trust you? Weren't you the one who tried to kill all of us?" Elizabeth protested.

Barbossa turned his head and petted the monkey on his shoulder. "Why must you people argue over technicalities? This time it'll be different. I have no intention of killin' anyone."

"You're the only chance we have, aren't you?" Will realized.

"That's right," Barbossa agreed.

"Then please tell us, what is in this venture for you?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Only my mortality, ya see, the heart is cursed and so are all those tied to it. The fate of that small, decaying article is what I'm interested in," he explained.

"And what is the curse?" the pirate with the wooden eye inquired.

Barbossa strode toward the door. "I don't have time to be tellin' ya now. We have to get ourselves a ship, and I only know one that'll do. If you all want this plan to succeed, then I suggest you follow me now."

The choice was either failure or success. A look passed between Will and Elizabeth and they knew that despite their better judgment, they had to trust him. Everyone followed Barbossa out to a few rowboats. They took the boats to nearby port and began walking. Over the next two days, Barbossa made sure that everyone ate and was taken care of as they continued walking.

On the afternoon of the second day they reached their destination. It was a lonely, dilapidated dock with only a few ships. Barbossa recognized the ships as privateer ships and walked over to the captain of one who was inspecting a shipment of barley. The burly man looked at Barbossa with curiosity, but not recognition. Will and Elizabeth hurried over to hear what was said.

"Sir, I was wonderin' if you could tell me where Captain Cinders is," Barbossa began.

The man pulled at his graying black beard. "Haven't heard that name in a while, but I can tell you that the ship has started docking here again. Should be sometime this afternoon."

Barbossa nodded and walked away. "Whom are you looking for?" Will asked.

The pirate sighed and watched as a ship he knew neared the port. "An old flame," was all he said.

"Why is he called 'Captain Cinders?'" Will proceeded.

"The captain is known for burnin' when pillagin'" he explained.

A well-built wooden clipper ship landed in the dock. Barbossa waited until the crew had left and then signaled for the others to follow him. A scrawny form with a dark blue hat that covered the head was the last. Barbossa came up behind the figure. "Captain Cinders, it's been a long time," he said in his usual pirate drawl.

The voice that replied had a forced hoarseness, as if the person was trying to disguise it. "Who dares address me so?" The figure stopped short and wheeled around. As the form clad in brown pants, white shirt, and a well-worn once sapphire blue jacket and black boots looked up, the hat was removed. "Barbossa? I thought you were dead!"

"So did a great many people, Lucinda Tavish," he replied.

The figure was a woman, standing shorted than Elizabeth, with coal-black hair pulled back in a low ponytail and cold crystal blue eyes. She looked to be around thirty, wearing a little makeup. Without the hat there was no doubt that she was a woman.

Taking a step back she drew her sword with her left hand. "How dare you come back to my port! After the stunt ya pulled last time, I'm surprised that ya'd even so much as bat an eye at me!"

He put his hands up as if trying to calm her. "Now Lucinda, I've come to make you a peace offering. Granted what I did before was low and scoundrelish, but I've reformed somewhat," he paused and pulled out necklaces with diamonds and opals. Her eyes became like saucers. "These are yours."

"What's the catch?" she demanded.

He shook his head. "No catch this time, yet. These I'm givin' you as compensation for our last… altercation."

"T'was more of a pillagin' I believe," she remarked.

She took the jewelry and pocketed it as he continued to speak. "Now I have a business proposition for ya. I need-"

Cutting him off, she extended her right hand, palm up. "Apple. You know the way this works." He sighed and reached into his pocket, handing her a green apple. She took a bite of it and lowered her sword. "Alright, ya may proceed."

"I have a small crew, but we need a vessel. We need to retrieve a man, as well as an article that affects things of the sea. As much as I hate to admit it, we need help finding Jack Sparrow," he began. She put her sword away and glared at him. By this time Will and Elizabeth had stepped closer to him.

Lucinda slapped him hard across the face. "How dare ya ask my help to find that bilge rat! Do ya know what he did last time he was near my ship? That lunatic raided my whole cargo hold under the pretense of tradin' for food! And that was after he stole a few other things from me!"

Barbossa fingered his jaw Will neared him. "I suppose you'll tell me like Jack would that you didn't deserve that."

The old pirate shook his head. "No, regrettably I deserved that." Then he sighed heavily, facing Lucinda again. "I plan to pay you and if you want to come along to ensure that your collateral in this venture is safe, then you can."

She took another bite of the apple. "I want the specifics then. How long will ya be needin' my ship? Where are you takin' it? And do we need any additional supplies?"

"I think we know where he got the apples from as well as his use of legalities," Elizabeth whispered to Will.

Barbossa and Lucinda began walking over to where her crew was bartering for supplies. "I can't tell ya exactly how long we'll be gone, but we are goin' into open ocean for part of it, and we are trackin' down a former commodore for the other part of it. We will need supplies," he replied.

She smirked and tossed the apple core behind her. "Hector Barbossa, yer a lyin' cheatin' son of a kraken, but I haven't had a good adventure in a while. Do I have yer word that my ship will remain intact, that my crew will be unharmed, and that I will be paid in either treasure, paper money, or coins?"

"You have my word," he responded.

They shook hands. "Then we have an accord," she relayed.

Elizabeth and Will rolled their eyes and walked back to the rest of the crew to round them up. Lucinda's ship was ready to set sail three hours later. The _Kraken's Toothache _left port with Lucinda at the wheel and Barbossa standing next to her.

"Now we're headed that way," Barbossa pointed, "so perhaps I'd better…" he reached for the wheel.

Lucinda glared at him and spoke through gritted teeth. "My ship, I steer."

He backed up and moved toward the rail, sighing. Will turned to Elizabeth and Gibbs, having seen the exchange. "This is going to be a long voyage."


	2. Wildfire

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and Gore Verbinski. Captain Cinders is mine.

Chapter 2: Wildfire

Things remained oddly quiet and civil until the second day at sea. Lucinda had let her first mate Young Muddy steer. Muddy earned the nickname because he tended to fall in the mud unloading the ship at various ports. The captain had moved over to the railing on the lower deck, resting her forearms on it. Elizabeth walked over to her and leaned on the railing as well.

"May I ask you a question, Captain Cinders?" the younger woman began.

The other nodded. "I don't see why not."

"Were you and Barbossa more than acquaintances at one time?" Elizabeth inquired.

Lucinda raised an eyebrow. "Miss Swann, I don't think I understand what yer askin' so if ya don't mind spellin' it out plainly…"

"Barbossa told Will that you were an old flame," Elizabeth stated.

Lucinda chuckled. "Did he now? Don't be worryin' about that. It's an old joke between us. Because I tend to play with fire, he calls me an 'old flame,' and because of his crotchety nature, I call him an old sea dog. We were never anything romantic, if that's what ya ment." Despite the older woman's truthful tone, Elizabeth had her doubts and eyed the woman skeptically before speaking.

"Romance with pirates is a bad thing," Elizabeth said quietly.

"Does that comment have anything to do with Sparrow?" Lucinda probed.

Elizabeth bit her lip and did not respond for a moment. "It's my fault that he's gone. I made a decision for him and let the kraken get him."

Lucinda sighed and shook her head. "First of all, ya shouldn't be forcin' pirates into anything. And aren't ya attached to Mr. Turner? Furthermore- wait, did you say 'kraken'?"

The younger woman nodded. "The former commodore we're after, Norrington, has Davy Jones' heart and the kraken got Jack-" the captain did not let her finish.

"Davy Jones?" Lucinda said the name like it was a set of epithets. "He's involved in this?" she left the railing and began pacing. "Then why… that's why he needed my ship!" she exclaimed.

Stomping toward her cabin, she pounded on the door. "Hector Barbossa, you open this bloody door right now! I want some answers!"

Barbossa had been charting a course on the map in the room and headed over to the door. He swung it open hard enough to jar the wall. "Woman, if you're going to yell loud enough to wake the undead, then ask questions outright!"

She calmed down slightly and spoke through gritted teeth. "What the bloody hell is going on with Davy Jones? Why didn't ya tell me about him sooner?"

He stepped close to her and she took a step back. "You of all people know that ya don't get answers when ya don't ask the specific questions. You never asked about Davy Jones, so I figured I didn't have to be tellin' ya yet. Norrington took his heart, which as we all know is cursed, and we need to retrieve it. The other part is that the kraken ate Jack."

Her arms were crossed in front of her and she continued to glare at him. Then he held out an apple and she took it. "Don't think that I see this as any sort of appeasement. I know now exactly why ya needed my ship: the kraken is allergic to the barnacles on the bottom."

As she ate the apple he continued. "The problem is that we need to find him in order to find Jack. Say, didn't ya tell me that since it's yer ship, yer the one who's steerin'?"

Glancing over at her first mate, she waved him off the wheel and took it as Barbossa followed her. "I have my first mate steer once in a while," she replied in her normal tone. Then she looked out at the sea as she began steering, glaring at it.

"Something tells me that you've had dealin's with Davy Jones before," he observed.

"I'd like ta ring that inky neck of his, or feed his peg leg to the kraken. He and I had a run-in the last time his ship could dock. The man, no, creature stole half my crew. The only reason my ship was intact was because the kraken won't go near it. He almost had me on his ship too, but I beat him at his own game," she explained.

"What do ya mean?" Barbossa inquired.

She adjusted the wheel slightly. "Jones has this game with dice and I just beat him at it's all. And you, where have you been for the last ten years?"

He glanced out on the sea and smirked. "Ah Lucinda, that's a rather long story. The short version's that I caused a mutiny, ended up with a curse from Aztec gold, and was nearly dead for a while."

She chuckled and shook her head. "And I thought you'd been in prison all that time."

"Afraid not, I've got better things to do."

"When I saw ya as Sparrow's first mate, I knew that ya looked out of place and wouldn't be there long. So where're we headed first on this adventure of yers?" she continued.

Barbossa turned and spied Will. "Mr. Turner, would you care to tell the lady where it is that we're headed?"

Will stepped up by the wheel. "We are headed to the office of a man named Beckett, in Port Royal, but before that, Singapore."

Lucinda's brow furrowed and she slammed a fist down on the rail after throwing her apple core overboard. "I'm cursed to run into past acquaintances," she glowered.

"So you know Beckett?" Barbossa probed.

The woman huffed and pulled her black hair to one side. Then she took off her coat and pulled down the collar of her shirt to reveal a 'P' between her shoulder blades. She then redressed herself after hearing a gasp from Elizabeth. "Ya could say that I know that bottom dweller, Beckett. I'd like ta feed him to the kraken."

Barbossa cleared his throat. "Might I ask how he managed ta-"

"It's not what yer thinkin' Hector. Wouldn't have been exposed except I'd been whipped first. Beckett caught one of my crew hidin' the pirate flag. Instead of hangin' me, he wanted something that I had no intention of sharin' with him, so he let me be whipped and branded. The only reason any of us got away was because he had underestimated my abilities and found himself with a few fires to put out."

"And Singapore?" Will inquired.

Lucinda chuckled and looked at Barbossa, who seemed to share in some private joke as he smirked. Will and Elizabeth stepped down from the bow and helped the crew with a few ropes as they adjusted the sails. "You should be rememberin' Singapore. I do," Lucinda mentioned coyly.

Barbossa grinned fiendishly. "Of course I remember. Ya set fire to the whole port last time." As their eyes met, suddenly the two were playing an old game that made every word spark. After all, eleven years was a long time.

Hector Barbossa succumbed to no woman.

Lucinda Tavish succumbed to no man.

Yet he remembered how stunning she had looked in candle light. She remembered that he had charm when he chose to use it. Two painfully stubborn pirates had joined forces in a haze of incense, bamboo, and fireworks. And the whole matter was no one else's business.

Lucinda backed away and glanced over her shoulder to watch Elizabeth and Will, then turned back to Barbossa. "What's the story on those two, Miss Swann and Mr. Turner? I can tell Miss Swann is at least a governor's daughter because of how she carries herself, despite the fact that she looks like a cabin boy. Mr. Turner works with his hands a great deal, which means he's either a blacksmith or a carpenter."

"She's a governor's daughter and he's a blacksmith, but how did ya know that?" Barbossa confirmed as he studied the woman.

"I'm observant. What I want ta know is why they're here. It's plain ta anyone with eyes that those two aren't pirates," Lucinda pointed out.

The old pirate sighed, as if trying to withhold something. "From what I've learned, both of them have business with Beckett and it's because they let Sparrow go a while back."

Comprehension dawned on Lucinda's face. "Do ya mean to tell me that ya brought people that Beckett's lookin' for on my ship?" He nodded and she glared at him mercilessly. "I can't believe I let ya talk me into this! Since I saw ya, I've learned that we're tryin' ta rescue Sparrow, we need ta see Davy Jones, we need ta get the heart from Beckett, and now ya tell me that I've got wanted people on my ship! Is there anything else I should know about?"

"No, I believe you've covered it," he stated.

"Let's just hope that despite you bein' a mutineer, ya still keep yer word with me," she spat.

In contrast to her obvious irritation he chuckled. "I value what's left of my life enough not to be makin' that mistake. The honest truth is that you were always quicker with the sword."

To his surprise she smiled genuinely. "I've missed you, ya old sea dog," she conveyed.

He rested his right hand over her left briefly. "I've missed you too, ya trouble-makin' fire starter."

"How long 'till we reach Singapore?" she inquired.

"We'll probably get there by sundown tomorrow," he replied.

She left the wheel and called her first officer back. "We've got many things ta do in preparation then if we need ta disguise Turner, Swann, you, me, and the ship," she reminded.

As she was heading to her cabin to look for one of her other flags, the all too familiar noise of a ship rising out of water off to the port side caught her attention. The gnarled frame of the _Flying Dutchman_ came into view and she turned toward Barbossa.

"I suppose yer going ta tell me that ya invited him here," she seethed, glaring at him


	3. Sparks fly

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and Gore Verbinski. Captain Cinders is mine.

Chapter 3: Sparks fly

Barbossa cleared his throat. "Actually we aren't supposed ta be dealin' with him just yet."

"Tell that ta him!" she retorted.

Davy Jones and his deformed, sea-creature crewmen stared at Lucinda's ship and its crew. Within minutes Jones and a few others had attached lines and boarded the ship. The resounding heavy thud of his peg leg caused Lucinda to glare at him. But it was not Lucinda that Jones was eyeing.

"Barbossa, I've been waitin' for ya," Jones remarked.

Lucinda stepped in front of him. "Alright Davy-boy, what are ya after this time?"

Jones looked over at her as if she was a fly. "Captain Cinders, my business is not with you or yer ship, only this man."

The octopus-man grabbed Barbossa's right hand and slapped it with a tentacle. Then the telltale black spot appeared. "Did ya really think that you could cheat death twice?" Jones leered.

Barbossa glared at Jones. "Why you slimy sea slug! I never struck any sort of a deal with ye! Ya can't do this without first havin' an accord."

"But ya did. The sea wants ya back, Barbossa, and ya can't escape it forever," Jones mentioned. "Do ya recall a storm one night? You and yer crew were walking dead after nightfall in those days. You saw the kraken and cursed the sea. When I tried to seize yer ship, ya did more damage to my crew than we could do to yers. I could've had the ship again though. You made a deal that if I let ya keep _The Pearl_, I can take a few crew members at our next meetin' or did ya forget?"

"Hector, what the deuce is he talkin' about?" Lucinda inquired, standing at Barbossa's left.

"For a while we had Aztec gold and the coins caused us to become like the dead in moonlight, but that curse was broken," Barbossa explained quietly.

Lucinda marched over and stood by Jones, hastily drawing her sword and pointing it at him. "Yer not takin' him anywhere, Davy-boy!"

"And how do ya intend to stop me?" he goaded.

Only one thing came to mind. "I'll play the game," she told him resolutely.

Jones laughed in front of her. "Ya really want to play me again that badly, eh? What's yer wager?"

Lucinda paced back and forth, calm and prepared, her own shoes causing the boards to creak slightly. "If I win, ya let Barbossa go, along with everyone else and my ship."

"And if I win?" Jones questioned.

"Then ya can have my ship, but my crew goes free," she said quietly.

"That would mean that I would get not only Barbossa, but you," Jones added.

"No!" Barbossa quickly grabbed her upper arm and pulled her aside. "Lucinda, I can't be lettin' ya do this, not fer me! Take it back, my life's not worth the trouble," he whispered.

She adamantly shook her head. "It's my decision to be makin.' Besides, I beat him once before! Hector, I can do this," she whispered back, almost pleading.

"How the deuce did ya do it the first time?" he probed.

She stood close and pressed herself up against his ear. "The man can't sit still. With all those tentacles, he fidgets and he gives away what's on his dice by how many times the tentacles wave back and forth. I don't think he knows he's been doin' that either."

As she stepped back slightly, he locked his eyes with hers. "I just don't want anything to happen to ya."

"Are ya goin' to play the game or not?" Jones shouted at them.

Lucinda nodded and left Barbossa. "How many rounds'll it be?"

"Three, and ya have to win all of them," he responded. Jones sat on a crate in front of an overturned barrel. She pulled a crate over for herself and plopped down on it, grabbing her cup of five dice. Both opponents rattled the dice around before hastily throwing the cups on the table face-down.

"Two three's," Lucinda began.

"Three four's," Jones countered calmly.

She had been watching Jones' tentacle beard so that it looked as though she was looking past him at her first mate. "Four five's."

The tentacles curled up in a sneer of a smile. "Liar," he challenged.

Patiently she moved her cup as he did the same. "Here."

He could not hide the shock on his face as he saw that she had been correct. "Bloody woman! You cheated and I'm going ta find out how!" he growled.

"You told me I have ta win all three games. What good would cheatin' do me?" she retorted.

The game proceeded with Jones one die short. "One two," Jones stated.

He continued to glare at her as she said, "Two three's."

"Three four's," he added. This round would be his. She had to call him a liar sometime.

"Four five's," she mentioned, letting the game continue. He was not falling into her trap again by calling her a liar. Deciding to call her bluff, he made one of his own.

"Five six's," he countered, smirking in an attempt to make her uncomfortable.

"Liar," she finally remarked.

He had been caught and he lost another die. "I don't know how yer doin' it, but I've had enough of this," he seethed. In his fit of rage, he spat ink in Lucinda's face.

"Bloody hell, just because yer a sorry excuse fer a poor sport doesn't mean ya need to blind me!" she snapped.

Elizabeth grabbed a rag and handed it to her, along with some water. Lucinda wiped as much of the ink out of her eyes as she could, but everything was a blurry shimmer. "Ya damned sea monster, I won't see better until tomorrow probably."

Barbossa had been watching Jones, picking up on what Lucinda had told him earlier. He stepped up and put a hand on the irate woman's shoulder. "What if I played in her place?" he offered.

"No, she plays as she is," he told the pirate. Then Jones spoke to Lucinda. "Now's the real game. If ya win this one, ya deserve to go. If not, then yer on my ship. I'll give you a different agreement though. Ya beat me two rounds, so I'll let you and yer crew go if I can take the man with me."

She picked up her cup and rattled her dice before slamming it back down. "Two three's."

Barbossa stood behind her and watched Jones. When he had figured out what Jones had, he drummed his fingers on the back of her shoulder twice, with the fingers spread out so she could understand that Jones had three four's. Her calm was beginning to fade as she licked her lips.

"Three four's," Jones stated.

Tia Dalma had gone below deck with some of the crew at first, but then she came up and had watched the events from a doorway so that she was hidden. Her eyes focused on Lucinda's cup as she listened for the next challenge.

"Four five's," the woman growled.

The grin that Jones dealt her was cruel and cold. "Liar," he said, knowing that Lucinda had no idea what was on her dice.

Slowly she lifted her cup. Barbossa pointed out that the first die she spotted was a three and she swore mentally. Then he noticed a five. As she kept lifting up the cup, they noticed that the other four dice all had five's. She faced Jones and grinned broadly. "Well Davy-boy, seems that the game is mine."

Jones' eyes blazed with anger as he hit the barrel with his crab claw arm and overturned it. Barbossa pulled Lucinda up and out of the way incase Jones was planning on a fight. "This isn't over," Jones sneered as he stood and headed back to his own ship.

"I told ya I knew how to beat him," Lucinda remarked, grasping Barbossa's forearm.

He put a hand on top of hers. "You were damned lucky."

Lucinda let Barbossa steer and decided that resting might help her eyes. While he charted their course, Tia Dalma noiselessly walked over to him. He glanced over at her. "You did that, didn't ya?" he asked, referring to the dice.

She gave him her usual mischievous grin. "Losin' her would'a been a terrible 'ting."

He raised an eyebrow. "But she was playin' for my life."

"She would'a gone herself before she let dat creature take ya. What do ya want on dis voyage, Hector?" Tia Dalma probed.

"You know the answer to that better than anyone," he responded as he turned his gaze back to the sea.

She turned to leave, but then paused and walked back to him. "Be careful. What ya want comes at a great price. Are ya willin' ta risk her for it?"

"It won't come to that," he grumbled.

"Ya could tell her what de curse is," Tia Dalma reminded.

"She doesn't need to know," he muttered.

(My thanks to Alani for reviewing :D)


	4. Up in flames

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and Gore Verbinski. Captain Cinders is mine.

Chapter 4: Up in flames

As their journey continued, Lucinda and Barbossa found time to watch the sea while her first mate steered. "What do ya need in Singapore?" Lucinda asked in a whisper.

"Maps," Barbossa answered simply.

She leaned on her right elbow, watching him with a smirk. "I don't suppose ya feel like tellin' me where these maps'll take us then?"

He stared out at the water and spoke as quietly as he could. "I don't know the exact location of where they lead."

"But it all has ta do with gettin' Sparrow," she assessed.

"We just need someone to retrieve them," he commented, looking over to where Will stood and watched Elizabeth talk to a few of the crew members.

Lucinda followed his line of thought and then whipped her head back to him. "Ya can't be serious! The lad'll get caught."

"I suppose you have a better idea?" Barbossa inquired.

She stood up straight and smoothed out her coat. "Let me go. I can be in and out before they notice anything amiss."

He shook his head adamantly. "Yer not goin' into the city with us. If you get caught then yer dead. And then there's the fact that the last time you were there ya left the place in flames. If they recognize you, that'll be the end of it."

Jumping back, she drew her sword. "That's not good enough! I can handle myself well as anyone else! Draw!" she challenged.

"It doesn't matter if you can prove yourself. Lucinda, you aren't goin,'" he relayed as he pulled out his sword.

Will and Elizabeth watched as the blades clashed and clanged. Barbossa and Lucinda would lock blades and then back away repeatedly. Using expert footwork, they moved with the grace of professional swordsmen at each step. Elizabeth, however, saw something else.

"It looks as if they're dancing," she whispered to Will.

"If that's dancing, then I would hate to see them actually fighting," he responded.

The swordplay ended when Lucinda's coat caught on a rope hook and she dropped her sword. Barbossa stopped to pick it up and they stood against the railing, catching their breath. "It's not about what we both know you can do," he stated.

She faced him and raised an eyebrow. "Then what is it about, Hector?"

He froze for a moment and then found his voice. "On account of this bein' your ship, we can't afford for anything to happen to you."

Placing her hands on her hips, she glared at him. "That's bilge water and ye know it!"

He sighed heavily. "Ya played Jones for me. Think of it as me doing something in yer place."

She paced slightly and then drummed her long fingers on the railing. "I'm daft ta agreeing with this, but I s'pose there's really no harm in me staying here," she finally conceded.

Lucinda and some of her crew remained onboard as Barbossa sent will on to find the scrolls while he led a group through the city with Elizabeth trailing behind in a small boat that she pushed with a long pole. She paced the length of the ship impatiently, pensively keeping her eyes on the city. Then out of the corner of her eye she spotted a few wide rowboats.

Grabbing the copper spyglass out of her pocket, she could see the white wigs and blue coats from the East India Company. She followed the wake of the boats to see the ship off in the distance that they were coming from and gasped. "I have ta warn them."

After she left the boat, she found a man in a black pants and shirt outfit walking around. She looked around, she spotted a discarded pot and hit the man on the back of the head with it. Quickly taking his close and placing her own back on her ship, she dashed off to warn the others.

Beckett's men were marching directly to where she had watched Barbossa and the others go. "I need ta make some kind of noise," she whispered to herself. Then she spotted one of the fireworks carts. "It's fate."

As Barbossa fought with Captain Sao Feng's men, an explosion could be heard. "What the deuce is that?" Will asked.

When Beckett's men crashed into the room, Barbossa answered, "I think that was a warning."

Lucinda tried to run back to the ship, but one of the East India men grabbed her by the arm. Fortunately he did not bother to move her hat to see her face. "Which way did they go?"

He had mistaken her for one of the locals. "That way," she pointed to an obscure direction. The man left and she scurried back to her ship, changing back into her regular close as soon a she was able.

By the time Barbossa and his group returned, the city was ablaze. "Ya had all yer fun without me," she commented, pointing to the city.

In her rush to change, the hat had been accidentally left on top of a pile of rope. Barbossa spotted it and eyed her suspiciously. "Would seem that we weren't the only ones. We heard a warning before Beckett's men appeared."

She looked around, attempting to avoid discussion of her involvement. "Do ya plan on tellin' me where all these extra men came from?"

"Mr. Turner recruited them, but don't be tryin' to change the subject. I told ya to stay here," he scolded her.

"I saw Beckett's men heading fer ya and I wasn't going to just let them find ya!" she protested. "Ya never made an accord on it anyway."

He sighed heavily and let the matter drop. "We won't be going to Beckett's office, since that's probably not where the man is, or the heard for that matter. We'll be getting Jack back first," he explained.

"Did ya at least get the maps?" she challenged.

Looking back over at Will, he produced the thatched maps, showing her the words on them. "These will lead us to the end of the world, and Davy Jones' locker while we're at it."

"Did the lad get caught?" she probed.

He chose not to answer and let her steer the ship as he walked off toward the other end of the vessel. She smirked, knowing that she had been right. Tia Dalma caught up to Barbossa again. "Ya can't keep her in de dark forever. Dose tied to de heart will lose someone dey love."

"If she doesn't hate me now, she'll be plotting my death by the end of this voyage," he mentioned.

The cryptic woman stepped even closer to him. "De curse isn't about who she loves. It's about who you love."

"Then it's a good thing she's only here because it's her ship," Barbossa responded, not taking his eyes off the woman steering the vessel.


	5. Fire fight

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and Gore Verbinski. Captain Cinders is mine. Spoilers are in italics.

Chapter 5: Fire fight

They drifted into the icy ocean as the pirates tried to brush white frost from their clothing. "Those blasted maps should've had a warning about this," Lucinda remarked, rubbing her arms. Due to the fact that she was steering, every time she shivered, she bumped the wheel so that the ship accidentally veered off to the right.

Noticing this, Barbossa shook his head and tried to lend her his coat. She eyed him critically. "I'm tryin' to do you a favor, woman. Since ya insist on steering, ya might as well be steering straight," he pointed out.

"Then you steer for a while," she countered, walking over to the starboard railing.

Lucinda began pacing as she stated, "We'd better get to wherever we're goin' soon, or we'll all go stark-raving mad!"

_Will looked over at the other captain. "Barbossa, a heading."_

_  
"Aye, we're good and lost now," Barbossa replied._

_  
Elizabeth eyed him with scrutiny. "Lost?"_

_  
Barbossa grinned and looked over at Lucinda. "For sure, you have to be lost to find a place that can't be found…" he began._

"_Elseways everyone would know where it was," _Lucinda finished.

_  
__"__We're gaining speed," Ragetti added._

_  
__Barbossa__ grinned and responded, "Aye!"_

_  
"To starboard stations all hands to stations," Will called out._

_  
__Barbossa__ scoffed. "Nay, belay that. Let her run straight and true!"  
_

"_Blimey," Ragetti exclaimed._

Everyone looked out to see what appeared to be the edge of the world. Clouds hid the abyss below. "Looks like we've found another curse!" Pintel shouted.

What Barbossa had not counted on was the immense drop. He had expected something more like rapids. As the ship tilted over the edge of what seemed like an enormous waterfall and began its spinning plunge, Lucinda hung onto the wheel. Without hesitation Barbossa wrapped one arm around her securely and looped the other around the wheel. When they suddenly hit water, he let go of the wheel and unhooked her hands from it as well, bringing her to the surface with him. In the next moments the crew popped their heads out of the water to find sunshine and then shortly they were all washed up on a beach.

Lying on the sand to catch their breaths, Barbossa had yet to let go of Lucinda. "Hector… this wasn't one of yer better ideas," she commented, slowly pulling away.

He stood and brushed the sand off his wet coat. "I 'spose it could've been worse. Wasn't quite how I pictured Jones' locker though."

She got to her feet as well. "I would've thought it'd be slimy and dank, but this is…" she trailed off as she noticed the debris in the sand. Then she looked back at the dead wreckage of her ship. When she looked toward Barbossa, her eyes were livid. "You wrecked my ship, ya bloomin' cockroach!"

Drawing her sword, she began to chase him down the beach, not caring about the stares from her crew. A bigger distraction had captured the crew's attention. Over a sand dune came the _Black Pearl_ with Jack standing on a beam near the crows' nest. White rock-like crabs appeared to be carrying the ship. Jack descended to the beach as the ship slid into the water. He began speaking to Mr. Gibbs, but it was soon evident that he thought all of his guests to be hallucinations

_They attempted to convince him to join them and stop Davy Jones, but Jack still looked unconvinced at their persuasion. "Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you have tried to kill me in the past," he paused and looked toward Elizabeth. "One of you succeeded."_

"Ya be needed, Jack," Tia Dalma mentioned.

Jack glanced at all of them, and then he stopped at Lucinda. "Well now, I must really be in hell if she's here. Hide the matches, everyone."

She took a few steps toward him with her hands on her hips. "I'm only here for two reasons. First, I'm gettin' paid. Second, ya stole my compass. I collect on what's owed me."

"Oh I remember, torch and burn as we go, wasn't it?" Jack paused and glanced at Barbossa, taking a few steps in his direction. "Well, well, it seems I'm not the only dead man you all want to see again. Tell me, Captain Cinders, since I'm not the only one here who owes you something, what will you do with him?"

She fingered her sword and looked up at them. Then she caught Barbossa's eye and something unspoken passed between them as he took a step back. "We… have an accord," she answered with a smirk.

Something clicked in Jack's slightly fractured mind as he looked from one to the other. Then he shuddered. "There are some places even my mind shouldn't go. Shall we be off then?"

When they reached the _Pearl_, one problem was evident: there were too many captains. Lucinda and the rest of the crew stared at Jack and Barbossa incredulously as they began giving orders simultaneously. Then they faced each other.

"_What are you doing?" Barbossa demanded.  
_

"_What are you doing?" Jack fired back._

_  
"No, what are you doing?" the older man challenged._

_  
"What are you doing?" the other countered_. Lucinda rolled her eyes and walked past them.

_"No, what are you doing?" Barbossa persisted._

_  
Jack would not let him. "What are you doing? Hmm. Captain gives orders on the ship."_

_  
"The Captain of this ship is giving orders!" Barbossa argued._

_  
Jack paused to think for a moment. "My ship, makes me captain!" _

_  
"They be my charts!" Barbossa retorted._

_  
"That makes you Chart-man!" Jack volleyed._

"Gentlemen, it seems ta me that the both of ya are bloomin' idiots," Lucinda stated. They turned to see where she had been speaking from. She was leaning over the wheel at the helm.

"And what are you doing?" Jack probed.

Lucinda smirked as they approached her. "The way I see it, whoever wanted ta be captain of this bloody ship needed to get to the wheel first. I'm captain of this ship on account of ya both owe me, and I got here first."

Barbossa sighed heavily and Jack raised an eyebrow, looking from one to the other again. The other man simply shrugged. "Well, Captain Cinders, I suppose you may borrow my boat for now."

"Yer boat? You can't be-" Barbossa began indignantly.

"Hector, get yer scurvy tail back here. I'm not done with ya yet!" Lucinda interrupted.

Jack smirked and mumbled, "Better you than me."

Barbossa rolled his eyes at his former captain before stepping over to Lucinda. "Alright woman, out with it."

"Ya owe me a ship. We had an accord that nothin' would happen to my ship," she reminded curtly.

He sighed and nodded. "That I do."

"I still can't believe that ya let the ship go over the edge like that!" she argued.

"First off here, I didn't know it'd be that big of a drop. And second, I am sorry about yer ship," he conveyed.

She crossed her arms and looked out at the ocean. "Is there anything else ye should be tellin' me that could change our accord again?"

He was not going to tell her about Tia Dalma yet. Instead of answering directly, he only told her, "You'll get yer ship."

Everyone was quiet for a while as the Black Pearl moved out in what appeared to be an endless mess of open ocean. Barbossa pulled out his long black spyglass to see if anything was near. Jack attempted to follow suit, but when he pulled out his spyglass, he noticed that it was quite a bit shorter than Barbossa's. The scraggly older man smirked and looked out at the sea again as Jack rolled his eyes.

Lucinda snorted and walked over to them. "Gentlemen, ya should stop with such childish games," she relayed as she pulled out her copper spyglass, which was six inches longer than Barbossa's. Both men quietly groaned and she smirked.

(My thanks to naima for reviewing :D)


	6. Smoke and ash

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and Gore Verbinski. Captain Cinders is mine.

Chapter 6: Smoke and ash

It was then that those on the ship noticed lights out on the water. Upon closer inspection, the lights were lanterns on small row boats as the people rowing them stared straight ahead. Tia Dalma stepped forward and stared out at the people.

"Jones isn't doin' his job. Dees poor people hafta find der way on der own," she remarked.

Then Elizabeth spotted her father and rushed over to him. He told them about the heart of Davy Jones and stabbing it. After speaking with him for a moment, she attempted to reach him. Tia Dalma watched her with concern. _"She must not leave the ship!"_

_"Father!" Elizabeth exclaimed.  
_

_Governor Swann__ gave a pitying half smile to his daughter. "I'll send your love to your mother, shall I?"_

_  
__Will rushed to Elizabeth and looked over at Tia Dalma. "__Is there any way…"_

_Tia Dalma shook her head sadly. "Him at peace, now," she relayed._

After what seemed like a long night, the crew found themselves adrift on a calm and windless sea. They complained about the water being gone as well as the rum. Lucinda paced back and forth, muttering about their current state. "Water's gone, food's gone-"

_"The rum's gone."_

"Yes, Mr. Gibbs. The rum's gone. We're goin' ta bloody starve out here! We've no supplies and I can't stand this wonderin'! There aren't even any bloody apples!" Lucinda lamented.

Jack turned to Barbossa as Lucinda continued on her rant. "Is she talking to you, mate?"

Barbossa sighed and rummaged through one of his pockets. "I'd better be fixin' this," he remarked as he walked over to her.

She turned to face him, ready to yell at him again. "This is all your blasted-"

"Here," he commented, pulling out a green apple he had taken as a snack from the supplies on Lucinda's ship.

She raised an eyebrow and studied the apple, then took it from him in a quick swipe. "Don't be thinkin' that yer forgiven for findin' the last apple in the whole ocean," she commented before taking a bite.

"Yer welcome," he stated with a smirk. She did not notice that he had slipped something into her pocket.

As sunset approached, Jack helped them to figure out that the ship needed to be flipped upside down. Once that was done, they found it to be sunrise and noticed an island. "We can get supplies," Lucinda suggested.

The others liked the idea, but Barbossa and Jack began to argue about one of them remaining on the ship to see that the other one did not abandon people on the island. _"Why don't you both go ashore, and leave the ship in my command? Temporarily," Will suggested_.

Lucinda stepped over to them. "Lad, considerin' that ya botched gettin' the maps, I'll be stayin' ta oversee things," she paused and looked over her shoulder to face Barbossa, "providin' that we agree ta bring back food and anything else useful. Do we have an accord, gentlemen?"

Barbossa shook her hand. "That we do."

Jack and Barbossa left with a few men in two boats. Twice one boat returned with more food. While part of the crew was still on shore, Lucinda watched as another ship came into view. Suddenly a rope came around her shoulders before she could draw her sword. "What in the seven seas is goin' on?" she demanded.

Will added another loop of rope and faced her as Sao Feng came into view from the other ship. "Sorry Captain Cinders, but I have an agreement with someone else which is of greater benefit to me," he told her.

Rage flickered in her eyes. "You bloody traitor! When Barbossa gets back he'll-"

Sao Feng's crew began to board the other ship. "I don't think that will be a problem. My men are already hiding on the island," the other captain remarked.

On the island, Jack and Barbossa noticed the dead kraken with discomfort. Barbossa decided then that it was necessary to convince Jack to come to Shipwreck Cove. _"The world used to be a bigger place," he began.  
_

"_The world's still the same - there's just less in it," Jack responded._

_The older pirate sighed. "There was a time when a pirate was free to make his own way in the world. But our time is comin' to an end. Our enemies are united; they vow to destroy us. The Pirate Lords from the four corners of the Earth, must stand together."_

"_I prefer me onesies at present. At least I know that I wouldn't betray meself," Jack relayed._

_Barbossa continued to stare at the kraken. "The trouble with bein' the only one left is that ya see the end of all the others."_

_There was pride and bravado in Jack's response. "I rather like the sound of that, 'Captain Jack Sparrow, last pirate left.'"_

_Barbossa shook his head. "It's not about bein' the last, it's about passing somethin' along."_

Jack looked back at the ship before replying. "You would know all about that, wouldn't you?"

Barbossa eyed Jack as if he had just realized that the other captain was crazier by than usual. "And just what do ya mean by that?"

"Oh come now, surely your little fire starting friend is more than that," Jack drawled.

"She and I have a business agreement. S'bad enough that now I've got to find her a new ship. Don't be puttin' what's left of yer two cents where it don't belong," the older pirate advised.

"Didn't know you liked her that much. The fact that you haven't killed each other says something," Jack goaded him as they stepped further into the jungle.

Barbossa turned sharply to face him. "Will you just shut-"

"What happened here?" Jack interrupted, looking past Barbossa to the body floating in the pond.

Moments later they were ambushed by Sao Feng's men and brought back to the _Black Pearl_ where Will stood with Sao Feng. "Well Mr. Turner, did someone die and make you 'captain,' or did you just feel like playing both sides today?" Jack probed.

Barbossa glared at Will. If he had hurt her in any way… just as mental threats were forming, Will brought out Lucinda, her hands and feet bound as well as her shoulders. The strip of material tied around her mouth as a gag prevented her from complaining. "No one died. I need the _Pearl_ in order to free my father."

"_He needs the Pearl. Captain Turner needs the Pearl," Jack began. He faced Elizabeth, saying, "and you felt guilty," before turning toward Barbossa to state, "and you and your Brethren Court." With a labored sigh he looked around at the rest of the crew seeing his, Lucinda's, and the men from Sao Feng that Will had found. "Did no one come to save me just because they missed me?"_ _Everyone looked around as Pintel, Ragetti, and the monkey cautiously raised their hands_. _"I'm standing over there with them," Jack added as he stepped over in their direction._

Barbossa took a step toward Lucinda, hoping that Sao Feng had not recognized her yet. A long scar over one of his ears had been her doing. "Let her go. She's got nothing to do with this," he stated

"So she is yours?" Sao Feng interrogated, producing a glare from Lucinda.

"Of course not!" Barbossa protested. "Why is she the only one ya saw fit to tie up?"

"We did not tie her up. That was young Captain Turner's idea," Sao Feng clarified.

Barbossa was allowed to step forward, hatred for Will seeping into his slightly yellowed eyes. He started to remove the gag first and was met with Lucinda's shrieking. "This traitorous scurvy bilge rat used us. The British Royal Navy's coming too. He doesn't deserve to-"

The other pirate replaced the gag. "That won't be helping us much," he remarked as he untied everything else. When she could remove the gag herself, she noticed that another ship had joined them.

Navy officers boarded the Pearl and pointed their bayonets at Jack. "Lord Beckett wants to see you," one informed him.

As he was led off, Lucinda leaned toward Barbossa's ear. "I'll follow and see what I can learn. This might have somethin' ta do with the heart of Davy Jones," she suggested. Barbossa nodded and Lucinda faded into the crew before disappearing for a while.

She crossed the water to the ship on a small rowboat and simply used a few extra ropes to climb aboard the ship, relatively unnoticed. No one seemed to think that it was worth their time to pay attention to a woman. Quietly following the guards, she let them lead the way to Beckett's cabin. Knowing that she would not be able to roam anywhere if her sword was seen, she removed the sheath and hid it in a potted plant. Then she waited outside the door and listened. She could only make out murmuring and voices, not words. Tired of waiting, she burst through the doors.

"Beckett, what'ave ya done with the heart of Davy Jones?" she interrogated.

The businessman looked at her incredulously. "Who the deuce are you?"

Lucinda raised an eyebrow. "Ya don't recognize me?"

"Should I?" he inquired.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm the one who burned your office down; I'm Captain Cinders."

Beckett glanced from Lucinda to Jack. "Don't tell me that you two are working together."

"Actually it wasn't by choice," Jack mentioned.

"I've come for what's mine!" Lucinda demanded, grabbing the knife out of her boot and pointing it at Jack as she marched over to him, ignoring Beckett for the moment.

"I don't recall being yours," he retorted. "Barbossa won't be happy about that."

She sighed again and shook her head. "Don't be daft, well, more daft than ya already are. Ya stole my compass."

Beckett smirked. "Well, well, pirates fighting amongst themselves. And now that you mention it, I do remember you," he paused and drew a sword. "And it seems that all you have to fight me with is a little knife."

"A little help, Sparrow?" she requested as Becket began to back her up toward the fireplace.

"Sorry Sparky, your battle, not mine," he remarked.

As she neared the fireplace, Lucinda reached behind herself, hoping to grab a fire poker. She pulled out something long and began to use it against Beckett's sword. Then she noticed the "P" on the end of it and switched it to her right hand, taking a genuine poker in her left. Poker and sword clashed as Jack moved out of the way and watched the exchange with amusement. Then Lucinda began to break off the buttons of Beckett's coat. As he fought her with his shirt now exposed, she intentionally let him back her toward the fireplace again.

While one hand held off his sword, the other stuck the "P" into the hot coals. Beckett was about to stab her when jabbed the "P" brand at a patch of skin on the upper left of his chest. He dropped his sword and staggered back in pain. "That's so any woman you ever try ta take advantage of will know what sort of man ya are," Lucinda spat. Looking back at Jack, she said, "Come on, Sparrow. Let's leave this bilge rat."

Jack did not move. "You go on. I'm not finished with him yet," he stated, showing her the "P" on his wrist. She left the ship, not knowing that Jack would be betraying them all.

She recovered her sword and returned to the _Pearl_ in the middle of a fire fight. Jack returned shortly with the assistance of a rope and cannon. Once things had settled down, she looked around at the crew and noticed that Sao Feng had left. She walked over to Barbossa, who was steering. "How did ya get him to leave?" she asked.

"Miss Swann went with him voluntarily," he replied. She turned her head and eyed him curiously, having the distinct feeling that he had left something out.

"I was only able ta learn that the heart is heavily guarded. I suspect Beckett has it on Jones' ship again," she mentioned. "What did I miss?"

She knew that he was hiding something. He simply told her, "Nothing of importance. We're heading to Shipwreck Cove now."

Something had happened; she suspected that much. She watched the sun begin to set as she slid her hands into her pockets. To her surprise, she felt something odd and round. Pulling out a piece of eight, she looked it over a few times, not recalling having put it there. As she lifted it to her ear, she heard the song.

_Yo, ho, haul together,  
hoist the Colors high.  
Heave ho,  
thieves and beggars,  
never shall we die._

She turned back to Barbossa with a questioning gaze. "Hector, why can I hear the song? What's goin' on here? And what was this doin' in my pocket?"

Still reluctant to tell her about Calypso, he gave her the shorter answer. "It has to do with Jones not doing his job. We'll be discussing it as the pirate lords meet. I gave ya that coin so that it'd be safe."

(My thanks to rainne for reviewing :D)


	7. Blazing torches

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and Gore Verbinski. Captain Cinders is mine.

Chapter 7: Blazing torches

As evening came upon the ship, Barbossa headed for the captain's cabin, but then stopped. "Captain Cinders, a word with ye?" he requested.

"I suppose that'd be acceptable," she stated, following him and hoping for answers.

When the door was shut, Jack grimaced and looked away from the door. "If those two are in there longer than twenty minutes, I just hope that the rest of the crew doesn't have to hear it," he commented, heading for the bow of the ship to look out at the sea.

Inside the cabin, Barbossa offered her a piece of fruit from the island. After the silent snack, she spoke. "I want ta know what this is all about."

"The help we need to stop Beckett," he responded.

"What help?" Lucinda demanded. "Hector, what have ya done?"

He pulled out chairs for both of them. She dropped down in hers and crossed her legs as he sat in his. "There's ancient magic in the sea that the Brethren have kept a secret," he began.

"So ya mean ta let it loose? Have ya any sense left?" she argued.

"We've little choice," he relayed.

She shook her head. "There are things ya shouldn't be playin' with," she argued, uncrossing her legs and pacing.

"These be desperate times, Lucinda," he protested.

Rolling her eyes at him, she walked past a nail protruding from the table. Her shirt caught on it and she frowned. "I miss my ship! I had a change of clothes onboard."

He stood and walked over to a wardrobe. "If Sparrow hasn't messed with it, there might be extra clothes in here," he offered.

The door opened with a creak and Lucinda quickly saw a shirt and pants that she could use. "Now you'd best turn around, or get out," she told him. He turned around to face the door, but she still did not trust him completely. "Never mind," she remarked as she stepped into the wardrobe and shut the door behind her.

Moments later she emerged. "That's better. I…," she trailed off as the hem of something in a dusk red had caught her. Barbossa sighed heavily, knowing what she had found. She faced him with hot furry in her eyes. "Hector Barbossa, what the bloody hell is this?" she demanded.

"Not so loud, woman. The whole ship'll hear ya," he reminded.

She snatched the dress and marched over to him. "All these years, while I was too busy ta entertain me own company. I want ta know what whores ya brought here! Whose bloody dress is this?"

He held his ground and approached her. "I will not be insulted on my own ship! The dress came from a ship we pillaged. Miss Swann wore it briefly as a guest on the ship. It be no one's dress."

"Liar!" she shouted.

Grabbing her by the shoulders, he looked directly into her eyes. "I haven't touched another woman since Singapore!" he admitted.

Years had gone by since they had stood so closely together. And then he let go of her shoulders and neither said a word for a while. She cupped his cheek with her hand and he saw the fire reflected in her eyes. "Tell me the dress means nothin' to ya and let me throw it overboard," she instructed in a whisper.

His eyes held their own intensity as he turned to kiss her palm. Then he moved her sleeve up enough to kiss her wrist. "It means nothing to me. Do with it what you will," he responded quietly.

The dress fell to the floor as the hand that held it came to rest on the other side of his weathered face. His hands held her by the small of her back. Leaning closer, they pressed their foreheads together. Her hands slid from his face to his chest to grab his shirt. He would have kissed her, but a loud knocking interrupted them.

Lucinda backed away and opened the door to Jack. After having sent Will overboard, Jack was looking for a hiding place in case the _Flying Dutchman_ made an appearance. "Sparrow, what do ya want?"

He smirked and looked between her and Barbossa, relieved that nothing had been interrupted. Then he noticed her change of clothes. "Making yourself at home, I see. Though I would expect that Barbossa, being the gentleman that he is, would've given you the dress instead."

"Just tell us why yer here," Barbossa commented as Lucinda quickly tossed the dress out of the window.

"No patience with you two whatsoever. No matter, seeing as how this is the 'captain's cabin,' and seeing as how we're all captains, I suggest we all share it then," he recommended.

Lucinda crossed her arms and glared at him. "Ya get the floor," she spat.

Jack then realized he had interrupted… something. "Captain Cinders, that sounded almost inhospitable. I do wonder where our other captain will sleep," Jack drawled.

Barbossa rolled his eyes. "I'll be takin' a chair. The woman can have the bed," he mentioned.

Morning brought Shipwreck Cove into view. Lucinda steered as Barbossa studied the island from the railing. Tia Dalma looked over at her and walked toward him. "Yer gonna loose dat one, Hecta," she whispered.

"Shut up and go somewhere else with yer incantations," he shot back.

"She don't know yet. What she gonna do ta ya when she knows de truth about me? Be careful Hecta, what ya may be afta ain't always what ya find," she paused and grabbed his hand. _"Don't forget dad I brought ya back and I can send ya away again," she stated, causing his hand to decay to bone in front of him for a second. It disturbed him enough to action though._

"Take this fishwife to the brig," he instructed Ragetti and Pintel.

After they had left, Lucinda walked over to him, letting her first mate steer. "What was that all about?"

"A disagreement," was all he said.

"One of these days yer going ta tell me what's goin' on," she added.

Barbossa returned his gaze to their destination. _"There's not been a gatherin' like this in our lifetime," he remarked quietly_.

Jack sighed heavily as he admitted, "_And I owe them all money_."


	8. Burned

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and Gore Verbinski. Captain Cinders is mine. Lines that are paraphrased or directly quoted from the movie will be in italics.

Chapter 8: Burned

The ship glided into the cove and Lucinda's eyes scanned it all with curiosity. The place was a fortress of wood and pieces from old shipwrecks. Dozens of small lights sat in nooks and crannies like fireflies. After the ship docked, they proceeded up a creaky staircase and into a room with a long table in the middle of it that reminded Lucinda of a billiard room.

The other captains were already seated at the table, waiting impatiently for something to begin. They had begun to pick minor quarrels with each other, leading to fist fights and a display of various swords and pistols. Captains Vallenueva and Chevalle kept arguing over money one of them had not paid in ten years, causing Jack to step back almost squeamishly.

Elizabeth appeared, reporting that she stood in place of Sao Feng, and that she was now the captain in his place. Jack stared at her with disbelief for a moment. Lucinda gave her a proud smile. Barbossa stood at the head of the table and addressed the pirates, now that everyone was present. "_Better were the days when mastery of seas came not from bargains struck with eldritch creatures... but from the sweat of a man's brow and the strength of his back alone. You all know this to be true!"_

"Just bloody get on with it!" one of the others shouted.

Barbossa rolled his eyes and continued. "First, if you'd all place in here yer 'nine pieces of eight...,'" he paused while a dish was passed around. Jack and Elizabeth hesitated. He turned to Lucinda. "I'll be needin' that coin back now," he mentioned. She reluctantly placed it in the dish.

_ "What happened to 'nine pieces of eight?'" Ragetti inquired._

_ Pintel looked around at the conglomeration of curio items in the dish. "Ya see, at the first meetin' the council was flat broke. They called it 'nine pieces of eight' because it sounded better than 'nine pieces of whatever we happened to have in our pockets at the time."_

"Now what was all that about?" Lucinda probed.

"We have Calypso, bound in mortal form. I propose that we release her and she may be so grateful that she'll be inclined ta do us a few favors," Barbossa explained.

Lucinda glared at him mercilessly, having figured out that he was referring to Tia Dalma. Disappointment flooded her mind as she clenched her fists. "Ya didn't trust me, ya bloomin' cockroach! That's the most idiotic plan I've heard yet! And why didn't ya bloody tell me? I hope she takes yer pathetic boney arse back ta Davy Jones' locker!" as she yelled at him, she removed her hat and tried to beat him with it.

The other pirates chuckled at him and he was finally able to grab the hat away. "Woman will ya stop that! It's our only choice!" he told her. She crossed her arms and when he handed the hat back, she huffed and took a few steps back, shaking her head.

"Why would we need some new weapon? _Shipwreck cove is a fortress_!" _Mistress Ching exclaimed_.

_"Lord Beckett is out there with probably the entire Royal Navy. We must prepare for battle," Elizabeth argued._

_ "It seems that we be needin' a king to settle this matter," Barbossa recommended. Unfortunately the others did not like his suggestion._

_Captain Vallenueva__ waved his pistol around and called out, "Shoot him!"  
_

_Captain Jocard__ shouted, "Cut out his tongue!"  
_

"_Shoot him, cut out his tongue, and shoot his tongue. And trim that scraggly beard of his!" Jack added._

Despite being furious with Barbossa, Lucinda was still the first person to defend him. She quickly drew her sword and pointed it at Jack. "Ya dare not follow through with that!"

"_This is madness," Elizabeth remarked, watching as the pirate lords and their crews fought again, this time more vehemently._

"_This is politics," Jack pointed out with a smirk._

A shot from Captain Vallenueva's pistol silenced the group as Captain Chevalle's body slumped onto the table. "That's what you get for not paying your debts," Vallenueva told the corps. Then he faced the others. "There was a reason they called him 'the penniless Frenchman.'"

The act solved nothing and only enraged Chevalle's crew. Before anymore blood could be shed, Lucinda intervened. "Everybody better put their bloody guns down before someone gets mad enough ta be burnin' things."

"That's telling them, Lady Matches," Jack goaded her.

She jerked her head sharply in his direction. "Shut up, Sparrow."

Barbossa spoke. "Since we be one captain short, if ya'd take a substitution, we got ourselves an extra captain," he paused and pointed to Lucinda.

"A woman is bad luck on such a venture," one of Chevalle's former crewmen drawled in a thick French accent.

Mistress Ching glared at the man and Elizabeth made a comment. "Of all the pompous, pig-headed-"

Lucinda put a hand up to interrupt. "There be a discrepancy on my abilities ta be a captain. Crewman, have one of ya challenge me to a sword fight. Looser drops the sword first."

The first mate was a dapper man by the name of Jacques with a wig of long blond curls. His sword fighting skills were more artful, but Lucinda was faster and in an attempt to show off, he missed her move and she knocked the sword from his hand. "Very well, for a substitution, I suppose you will do. It has been a long time since I was beaten," he admitted.

One matter finally settled, Barbossa moved on to the next topic. "Now it seems ta me that there be a book where the code's written. Which one of ya scalawags be keeper of it?" he asked.

_A man in an old scarlet coat with a black hat and long black dreadlocks strung with small white crosses stepped out of the shadows, followed by a dwarf with an enormous book. Jack looked over at the man expectantly. "Yer in my way, boy," the man addressed him_.

"_Ah, Captain Teague!" Barbossa greeted._

Teague opened the book with a thud and turned the crackling pages to the part about pirate kings, discovering that there could indeed be one. Captain Jocard slammed his fist against the table. "_There has not been a king since the first brethren court, and that is not likely to change_!"

_ "Not likely," Captain Teague echoed._

_  
"Why not?" Elizabeth questioned._

_  
"Because the pirate king is elected by popular vote...," Gibbs responded._

"_...and each pirate only votes for himself," Barbossa continued._

_Jack grinned brightly. "I call for a vote."_

_Barbossa rolled his eyes as Captain Teague began playing the guitar_

_Captain __Ammand__ started it. "I vote for Ammand, the Corsair!" _

Lucinda had taken Captain Chevalle's seat. "Captain Cinders," she called. The votes went around the table.

_  
"Mistress Ching votes for Mistress Ching ."  
_

"_Gentleman Jocard!"  
_

_Elizabeth shrugged and called, "__Elizabeth Swann."  
_

"_Captain Vallenueva."_

When the vote came to Barbossa, he had an idea. In his actual motivation, part of why he did it was to make amends for not telling her about Calypso. "Captain Cinders," he stated. 

_Captain Teague stopped playing his guitar_. _Then it was Jack's turn and Barbossa had the strange yet familiar feeling that he was up to something. "Elizabeth Swann," he said.  
_

_The pirate court began to yell. Elizabeth looked over at Jack with confusion written on her face. "What?"  
_

_Jack grinned. "__I know. Curious, isn't it?"_

Lucinda sighed and looked around the room. "All of ya are bloody daft," she exclaimed.

The other pirate lords debated and argued, eyeing the two women with distrust. Captain Teague stood opened the book again with a loud thud on the wooden table. "The code says what ta do if there be two choices for a king… hmm… ah, here it be. All vote again, the two fight 'till one of 'em's dead, or they figure it out between and one of 'em gives up."

Barbossa marched over to Jack and glared vehemently at him. "This is all yer fault, ya bilge rat!"

"My fault? Oh I see what this is about. It's always about appeasement with you," Jack argued.

Lucinda put her hands up and stepped between them. "Will the both of ya shut up!" she shouted. They grew quiet and stared at her. "That's better," she stated, looking at Barbossa. "Now, ya got the bigger spyglass," she paused and turned to Jack, "and ya got the bigger mouth. Gentlemen, Captain Swann and I will be settlin' this little matter on our own. Do we have an accord?"

"I suppose," Barbossa grumbled.

"Yes," Jack responded blandly.

Walking back over to Elizabeth, she studied the other woman. "You have the experience," Elizabeth commented, extending a hand.

"But ya've got the plan," the other woman added. "I think the king needs ta have a plan." With that the two shook hands and it was decided that Elizabeth would be king. It was decided then that they would go to war.


	9. Igniting the war

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and Gore Verbinski. Captain Cinders is mine. Lines that are paraphrased or directly quoted from the movie will be in italics.

Chapter 9: Igniting the war

The late Captain Chevalle's crew had been in contact with Lucinda, debating whether or not to take her on as a captain. The first mate had, after all, lost a sword fight to a woman. They decided that if the ship was still intact after the battle, then they would have a vote on who would be captain. For the present, the first mate took charge while Lucinda remained aboard the Black Pearl.

Both Jack and Elizabeth had been forcibly coerced to release their "pieces of eight" in order to release Calypso. Lucinda leaned back against the railing with her arms crossed, shaking her head. "This isn't bloody goin' ta work," she commented.

Tia Dalma stood in front of Barbossa, coiled in a rope that was wrapped around her like a snake from head to foot. After checking the book for what to say to set Calypso free, he looked at the crew. _"It must be said as if speaking to a lover," he mentioned as the pirates snickered_.

"Beckett's goin' ta be here if ya take any longer," Lucinda stated tartly.

Barbossa shot her a glare and than began to speak the words. "_Calypso! I release you from your human bonds_!"

_Pintel__ stared on as nothing happened. "Is that it?"  
_

"_You didn't say it right!" Ragetti explained._

Barbossa glared at him. "What do ya mean, tellin' me that I don't know how to say it?"

"Shut up, Hector. Ya never were very articulate in this particular area," Lucinda reminded. He frowned at her, then rolled his eyes and shook his head as the other pirates exchanged knowing looks.

"You have to say it right..." Ragetti continued as he leaned into Calypso's ear and whispered, " Calypso...? I release you from your human bonds."

The items in the dish were suddenly consumed in a hot fire and Tia Dalma quickly grew in size, becoming once again Calypso. Her furry growing, she suddenly transformed into millions of crabs and the column of crustaceans crashed down and flowed off of the ship in a wave. The crew waited silently for a moment, expecting something, anything to happen.

"Meanin' ta be helpful, I believe we got more from her human form," Lucinda reminded.

Barbossa stormed over to her and grabbed her right arm. "I've just about had enough of this, woman!"

Being left-handed, she reached across her belt and drew her sword. "And what do ya plan ta do about it? Throw me overboard? This whole bloody plan of yers 'as condemned us ta the lack of mercy Beckett's fleet has ta offer. We are doomed, Hector, bloody doomed! They brought the bigger guns!"

But he had yet to let go of her as the sky darkened and a wind began to blow. "Then go! Just go! This was never meant to be yer battle. Go over to Chevalle's ship where ya've got some time to plan."

_Realizing that the pirates on the ship were about to desert everything, Elizabeth decided that it was time to take her role as 'king' seriously. She broke free from the pirates holding her and jumped up onto the railing, grasping the rope even as a hard ran fell upon them. "You all, listen to me! Listen! Thee other ships will still be looking to us, to the Black Pearl, to lead, and what will they see? Frightened bilgerats aboard a derelict ship? No, no they will see free men and freedom! And the enemy will see the flash of our cannons, and they will hear the ringing of our swords, and they will know what we can do! By the sweat of our brow and the strength of our backs and the courage in our hearts! Gentlemen, Hoist the Colors!"_

All the leaders on the other ships followed the order. Lucinda shouted from the _Black Pearl_ over to Chevalle's ship, "Hoist the colors!"

"Lass, that was one of the best speeches I've ever heard," Lucinda told Elizabeth.

A whirlpool began to form as the _Black Pearl_ charged forward to greed the _Dutchman_. "_Everything we've ever done has lead to this_," Barbossa commented.

The two ships plunged forward, firing at each other. After a while the masts locked due to the whirlpool and members of both crews ended up on each other's ships. The _Dutchman's_ crew looked to be more sea creature and coral reef than human as some used claws to block sword blows. Even Lucinda had difficulty fending them off. Barbossa fought them off by the wheel.

"Ya had ta steer, didn't ya? Couldn't wait 'till I got over there," Lucinda goaded him.

"Thought ya were desertin' us. We'd be in need of a captain," he tossed back.

In the midst of the battle, Will and Elizabeth decided that now was as good a time as any to talk. "_Will you marry me_?" he asked as his sword clanged with one of the half-sea creatures.

_"__I don't think now's the best time!" Elizabeth called back._

_  
__Will disagreed. "__Now may be the only time! I love you. I've made my choice. _

_What's yours?"_

_  
__"__Barbossa!" she responded. Will eyed her incredulously, unsure of what conclusion to draw.  
_

_Elizabeth looked over at Barbossa and called out, "Marry us!" Understanding washed over Will's face._

_Barbossa glanced over at them as his sword still clanged against their enemies. "I'm a little busy at the moment!"_

"Then I'll get ya started, seein' as I'm captain too. '_Dearly Beloved, we be gathered here today..._'" Lucinda began.

_Barbossa spoke, but he was facing one of the half-sea creatures as he kicked him in the face "... to nail yer gizzard to the mast, yer poxy cur!"_

_Will continued. "__Elizabeth Swann, do you take me to be your husband?"  
_

"_I do," she replied. _

"_Great!" he responded brightly as they continued fighting.  
_

_She took the lead on the next part. "__Will Turner, do you take me to be your wife, in sickness and in health, with health being less likely?"  
_

"_I do," he answered.  
_

_Barbossa tried to finish it while swinging his sword. "__You may-" he got cut off as his sword clanged against a half-sea creature's claw. "You may-" he tried to say before he was cut off again._

"_Just kiss_!" Lucinda finished.

She had been standing too close to the railing and one of the half-sea creatures yanked her over to the Dutchman through the broken railings on that ship, where she continued fighting. Jack was after the heart and Davy Jones was chasing him all over the ship. As Jones chased Jack back to the main Deck, he crashed into Lucinda. "You!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, Davy-boy, it's me," she replied.

He glared at her as she took a step back and drew her sword. "Ya will not be in my way again!" he snarled.

"We end this today," she confirmed.

Pausing, he took a good long look at her. "Well Captain Cinders, this time yer in my territory, on my ship. Part of the crew, part of the ship. Tell me, do ya fear death?" he probed.

She grinned smugly as Jack and the box came back into view again. "Tell me, Davy-boy, do ya fear me?"

As the fighting continued, Elizabeth was dragged over to the Dutchman as well with Will trailing along. Barbossa glanced over to the other ship and spotted Lucinda. Then he heard Tia Dalma's voice say, "Dis is da price ya pay, Hecta,' ta get what ya wanted."

He watched as Jones and Lucinda clashed swords. Lucinda was good and Jones was losing more tentacles as they went, but she was too small to keep up with a man who could not be killed for long. In a panic, Barbossa grabbed one of the ropes and swung over to stand between Jones and Lucinda

"I'm the one ya want. Let her go!" Barbossa demanded.

"I can fight me own battles!" she argued.

"I'm tryin' to save yer life!" he explained.

"And I'll be damned if I can't save yers!" she retorted.

Jones rolled his eyes and huffed. "Will you two shut up! I'm goin' ta kill both you, but she's been more of a pest, so she goes first," he stated.

Suddenly a sword stuck out from his midsection and Jones glanced down at it. He wheeled around to find Will. "Mr. Turner, back ta join my crew?"

"I'm stopping you from causing any more trouble," Will remarked as Jack finally managed to get the box open and hold the heart in his hand.

Jones raised his sword, as if to attack Will, but then turned and reached for Lucinda. Her sword already drawn, she fought him, but he was backing her up. She felt her foot on the edge of the deck, the railing having broken where she stood and in that moment her breath caught with fear. He stepped closer and spat, "Hope ya like the Locker," before jabbing at her with his sword again. By defending the blow, she lost her balance and fell backward.

(My thanks to Olivegreeneyes, and Anno Domini for reviewing :D)


	10. Home fires

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean belongs to Disney and Gore Verbinski. Captain Cinders is mine. Lines that are paraphrased or directly quoted from the movie will be in italics.

Chapter 10: Home fires

Barbossa's eyes widened and he felt a sickening feeling heavier than any seasickness in the pit of his stomach. Then a white-hot rage stirred in his blood. Jones then attacked Elizabeth. Will tried to stop it and Jones stabbed him. As the younger man lay dying, Barbossa grabbed Jones' heart from Jack and had Will stab the heart.

Jones watched in horror as he felt the life seeping from his body. "That was for Lucinda, ye blackguard!" Barbossa growled. As Jones staggered back, Barbossa pushed him over the edge and Davy Jones was swallowed up by the sea as he plummeted into the whirlpool.

Barbossa looked over he shoulder to see the _Dutchman's_ crew surrounding Will and Jack dragging Elizabeth back to the _Pearl_. "Come on, man. There's nothing more we can do here!" Jack argued. Barbossa had not yet recovered his speech. "She's gone," Jack attempted to persuade the other pirate.

As the other two left, Barbossa looked over the edge where Lucinda had fallen. "It's my fault. Well, I'll join ya in the locker then," he decided, preparing to jump into the sea.

Just then he heard someone clamber up the stares from the lower deck. Then he heard irritated muttering: "I'm goin' ta ring his inky neck. When I get my hands on that son of a kraken, I'm goin' ta send his one legged arse overboard!" the voice fumed.

He could only stare in disbelief as Lucinda came onto the deck. She raised an eyebrow at the way he was looking at her. "Whatever's the matter, Hector? Ya look like ya've seen a bloomin' ghost. This ship's goin' down fast and we have ta leave now if we don't want ta be at the bottom of the ocean," she told him, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him over to one of the lines.

They swung over to the Pearl and even as they landed, he continued to stare at her. "You were dead," he finally said.

She turned her head and looked him in the eyes. "Ya've finally gone daft as Jack," she surmised.

He shook his head. "I saw ya go overboard."

Comprehension washed over her face. "Yes, but thanks ta my sword, I never hit water. I went backward, yes, but my sword went first with me holdin' onto it and stuck into the wood just below me. I swung in through one of the cannon holes, yanked my sword out of the wood, and ran back to the deck, where ya saw me again."

He had hold of her upper arms. "I should've told you about Calypso from the beginning. It's my fault that Jones almost killed you," he expressed.

She saw the genuine sincerity in his eyes. "But ya stepped in for me. We're both here now, and I don't plan ta be headin' back ta the Locker any time soon," she relayed.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her close and she rested her hands on his chest. They rested their foreheads together for a moment and he whispered, "I'm sorry."

"I know," she answered, "and it's alright."

His lips met hers in a passionate kiss. Both had been waiting for this moment and she had a tight hold of his shirt as she deepened the kiss. They continued to seek solace in each other and kiss hungrily, unaware of the _Dutchman's_ popping back up out of the water with Will as its captain, oblivious to the decimation that Beckett's ship received from the other two, and unaware of the retreat of the Royal Navy.

When they finally separated, Jack spoke. "You two should just make it official and me done with it."

Barbossa grinned and looked warmly at Lucinda. "What do ya say?"

"Yes," she told him with the same grin. Then she crossed her arms. "But I refuse ta be married by Jack Sparrow."

The other man chuckled and looked over at Elizabeth. "Perhaps our other captain'll do the the honors?"

"Gladly," Elizabeth replied with a nod, walking over to the wheel. "Hector Barbossa, do you take Lucinda Tavish to be your wife for richer or poor, in sickness and in health, health being the less likely, for as long as you both shall live?"

His eyes focused on Lucinda as he said, "I do."

Elizabeth continued. "And do you, Lucinda, promise the same?"

Lucinda grinned back at him. "I do."

"Very well. I would say 'you may kiss,' but you've already done a spectacular job of that," she paused as everyone chuckled, "so you may kiss once."

They kissed only briefly and then walked over to Elizabeth. "It's been an honor knowin' ya," Lucinda relayed.

Elizabeth surprised Lucinda by pulling her into a hug. "As it has been for me, Mrs. Barbossa," she whispered to the other woman.

"Yer boat's ready, Mrs. Turner," Barbossa relayed.

They left Elizabeth on the island where Will stayed with her until sundown. The _Pearl_ headed to Tortuga, followed by Chevalle's ship. The late Captain's crew wanted Lucinda as their captain and were willing to follow her wherever she was planning to go next. For the destination, she headed over to the _Pearl_, knowing that Barbossa had a few ideas.

The crew felt uncomfortable about leaving Jack behind again and requested to see a map. Barbossa began to unroll it and as he held up the map, he groaned noticing that someone had cut out the middle of it. "Sparrow," he grumbled.

"I didn't trust him, so it's a good thing I made a copy," Lucinda remarked, holding up a sketch.

A grin of relief came over Barbossa's face. "Excellent. Now I'll just be takin' that and-"

She smirked and stepped back with the map. "Not so fast, Hector. My map, I lead," she told him.

"Yes, dear," he stated through gritted teeth.

Reaching out to touch his face, she said, "Oh, now don't be lookin' so glum. Chevalle's ship has better food. Yer joinin' me fer dinner, and maybe even some good French wine."

Having backed her up against the railing, he kissed her soundly. "I like that plan," he relayed.

The two parted and Lucinda glanced back as she led Chevalle's ship out into the sea. "The heading is due north, Captain Barbossa," she called to him.

He smirked, knowing what sort of answer she was anticipating. "And it'll also be east, Captain Barbossa," he replied, smiling at the spark of adventure he could see on her face as she looked back at him and then turned her gaze on the horizon.

Fin...

("Hm... hm... hm... hm... hm... and really bad eggs, drink up, me hardies, yo ho! This story was so much fun to write. I am grateful for your reviews and I hope ya've all been enjoyin' this voyage as much as I have. My thanks to Imaolorotf, Olivegreeneyes, Moony, for reviewing :D)


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